The Art & Story behind the camera

Things are a little hectic for me right now, but that’s what’ it’s like to work in entertainment business.

So in the mean time I’ve cooked up a list of my favorite films and must-see movies that you may have seen or some that maybe you never got around to yet. Regardless, here are some great films broken up by genre that includes some good options and by far is not a complete best list, as there are just too many great films to name . . . and also this list may be somewhat bias to my personal taste, but your welcome to chip in and comment and maybe I’ll post your faves on a later date. Till then here are my favorites and must see movies for your summer enjoyment.

The new era of Disney 3-D Animation where girls are fearless, carefree, and fun, yet real is the new direction of the family company. Mainly moving away from the typical princess to bolder heroines like Merida in Brave and Anna in Frozen — which I briefly discussed last time in our series.

Began back in 2010 with Tangled, a few years before the smart and ballsy Brave ever appeared.

Brave was a departure of sorts for Disney and Pixar primarily based on the director and writer’s children. The plot follows princess Merida’s protest to accept her traditional role and be a lady, preferring to shoot bow and arrows and frolic in the Scottish hillside. So she devises a plan that seems simple: use a witch to change her fate, but changing her fate is not as simple as it seems.

The film originally called The Bear and the Bow at one point is unique from previous Pixar films as it is the first female protagonist.

Overall it is a great story with excellent character development and artwork, some of which I have included below. While it never ceases to amaze me how much detail Pixar or Disney puts into their films and this carries over into everything they do, even the merchandise and parks.

Art of Brave

Concept Art

Concept Pixar

Here are also a few sketches from pre-production.

Also this film is great to look at VFX and 3-D techniques that achieve accurate realism. My favorite is Merida’s hair.

“Like us, there’s more to them than meets the eye,” states Optimus Prime in the original Transformers and it still holds true today, several years later and millions of dollars into the franchise the Transformers have returned for another ride. And over the years with each installment the actors and story lines have changed and even the design, but one thing has remained the same — that there is no show without the Transformers, who have always been the real stars of the films and like it or not are here to stay or at least one can hope so anyway. Meanwhile Michael Bay has managed yet again to get another story out of the franchise, which from the trailers are quite impressive.

Although none of this would be possible without the alien bots who steal the scene every time. So just in time for the release of Transformers: Age of Extinction tomorrow here’s a breakdown and behind the scenes look at the real stars — the machines. Plus check out this link for more http://www.transformersmovie.com/#home

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SMALL SPOILERS

AUTOBOTS * Disclaimer:s ome character accuracy may be slightly off as collected from multiple sources.

OPTIMUS PRIME: the bot in charge. You don’t mess with the Prime. This is a custom-built truck design from Western Star, that you can now ride in thanks to Uber for a limited time. Has 2 truck versions in the new film.

In continuation with the Evolution of Disney series this week I’ll look at Disney’s 3D Animation, made with a new generation in mind, that moves away from its traditional roots, but still maintains the basic foundation and traditional methods of Disney Animation.

In recent years, Disney known especially over the years for its 2D animated features, has produced increasingly more and more 3D animated films, usually in conjunction with Pixar — a company who started the 3D animated revolution with Toy Story and created other films like The Incredibles, Monsters Inc.,Tangled, Brave, and Finding Nemo among others. Often portraying characters that are fresh, yet familiar to previous character designs with a wide-eyes, robust personality, and eagerness that is irresistible to both kids and adults alike.

Of these, their most recent sensation, Frozen, has caused quite a stir forever changing the way we envision animation.

Personally, I think Frozen is quite similar to Lion King(but people).

The 3D camera moves beautifully to create the feel of a live Broadway musical harkening back to Disney’s classic animation age where music was front and center. Meanwhile Frozen, unlike most of Disney’s other animated films isn’t about the princess finding prince charming so much, but instead focuses on the power of love and fear and more importantly the relationship between two sisters.

Simply put, this film stands out above the rest for so many reasons, like the music which is superb, plus the fun and relate able characters. It’s definitely a can’t miss film, especially for Disney fans. Trust me you’ll be singing “Let it Go” by the end.

Stay tuned for more 3D Disney soon and don’t forget to check out my tumblr@cinematictruths Minute Review of Frozen!

Like this:

Have you ever wondered what 1920s New York City might have been like with bustling cars, spurring new industries, American moguls, and fashionable day – players partying the night away on the edges of the city — if so The Great Gatsby might be the answer you crave.

Set in the spring of 1922 in New York City and Long Island, The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway’s pursuit of the American Dream and his encounter with a mysterious neighbor named Gatsby, whose ambition eventually leads to tragedy.

The Great Gatsby, originally written by author F. Scott Fitzgerald, has received an impressive makeover in this modern film adaptation by production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin, who creates a mesmerizing look into the world of Gatsby, filled with color, pizzazz, and refined taste; illuminating the elusive wonder of men, time, and place. The design recalls to mind other visually stunning and dreamy films like American Beauty, Pleasantville, Moulin Rouge, Big Fish, and Dick Tracy.

The designer uses bold and pastel color palettes, in favor of standard sepia or black and white depictions of the Jazz Age to realize the true vibrancy and energy of the period.

Additionally, The Great Gatsby was filmed entirely in Australia and built from the ground up, 42 sets were designed on location or on nearby sound stages, and each was created with a contrasting unique flair to represent the diverse array of characters in the film.

The main centerpiece of it all– Gatsby’s mansion was envisioned as an “adult Disneyland” castle with all the trimmings. Inspired by numerous sources, including art deco, a Miami hotel, and original New York architecture like the Oheka Castle and Beacon Towers, it’s the grandest undertaking and re-imaging of all the sets created; every room has a life of its own, filled with opulence where no detail is overlooked, from the staircases to the furnishings. Gatsby’s ambitious home is modeled specifically on St. Patrick’s in Australia. While on the contrasting end the Buchanan’s house is based on the Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island.

Although both mansions are quite amazing, Maguire’s character cottage house offers a sweet, quaint, and charming appeal that is irresistible and the New York City apartment briefly shown is bursting with fun patterns.

But it is the spectacular visual effects used to compliment the production design of The Great Gatsby; all of which were designed by Animal Logic, who spent 18 months helping to bring Director Baz Luhrmann’s vision to life, that really raises the bar.

Meanwhile, words can only capture so much and this grand design can only truly be appreciated by the pictures, so I’ll let them do the talking.

Overall The Great Gatsby has a visionary style that is captivating, dream worthy, and a visual masterpiece that enhances every frame and one I hope you take the time to enjoy.